Unrequited
by Melandra
Summary: These series of drabbles in various Hyuuga's pov about their unrequited love has now officially turned into a story. Anyway it is mainly HYUUGACEST, however since I could only choose 2 main chars, it's Neji and Hinata coz' eventually it will be Neji/Hina.
1. Neji's Fix

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Neji's Fix**

_"You can have me instead." _

Those were the words she said to him the first time this happened. Yet no matter how many times he took her, he still could not convince himself that it was _her_.

Her hair was not as black and had a chocolate brown sheen instead of midnight blue. Her eyes were not as gentle as his dream lover's. They looked serious and purposeful. Her body was slim and straight, boyish, unlike the womanly curves he dreamt about. If he were to go on about their differences, the list would be endless. Yet still he came back to her.

Like tonight. She was like a fix. He entered her room via the window. His room was situated in the servant's quarters while hers was in the main Hyuuga mansion. She already knew he was coming. He only came on the nights before his training sessions with Hinata as if he required a fix to fortify himself against her.

She remained inert as if in a deep sleep to keep up the pretense. He liked it better this way. Flipping her so that her back lay flat against her futon, he straddled and thrust against her in one quick move, earning a shocked gasp from her, but her surprise did not penetrate her eyes as she looked up at him from under hooded lids. Instead, hunger and lust were written in them.

The reason why Neji came back to her was because she was still the closest he could get to having her, and he could do his worst, act out his dirtiest fantasies; spread her wide and fuck her senseless without the guilt of knowing that he was despoiling his perfect, pristine, innocent, Hinata.


	2. Hanabi's Mistake

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Hanabi's Mistake**

"_You can have me instead." _

These words were her greatest mistake. For the longest time, Hanabi had harboured 'feelings' for her older cousin. She had always thought that it was only admiration because since childhood, Hanabi had always felt that Neji was the most like her in the family. Their characters were rather similar in her opinion. They were both confident people, extremely dedicated to bettering themselves and were not afraid to ask for what they want. Lately however, she had begun thinking about him in a completely different way. She had never acknowledged them in the past, until recently.

Being a girl who acted just because she could, she began covertly watching her nii-san. She noticed that every few nights, Neji would leave the Hyuuga compound late at night only to return in the wee hours of the morning. Following that, he still had the stamina to meet her sister, Hinata for training sessions. Hanabi herself was getting exhausted due to sleep deprivation from waiting for Neji to return from his night jaunts. She began falling asleep during her training sessions and knew that she had to solve the mystery before this seriously affected her performance as a ninja.

Hence, one night, Hanabi set out to tail Neji. With the Byakugan she did not even have to follow him that closely and thus felt that she would be safe. As long as Neji was not alerted or suspicious, he would not be on his guard. She followed him into a part of town that was not a place she would normally venture into. It was a well-known red-light district. The buildings were tightly packed and there were many gaudy flashing signs hanging about, advertising _services_ best left unmentioned. Cheap seedy looking hotels also punctuated the area, easy access for the many men and women who were just standing around outside these buildings apparently making _deals_ with one another. The streets were also dirty and unkempt, sidewalks littered with crushed up pamphlets also advertising the _services_ available. Hanabi could not understand why Neji would come here.

To be completely sure, Hanabi decided to re-activate her Byakugan. She had de-activated it upon entering the district because being in such close proximity to him, her Byakugan would surely alert him to her presence.

Indeed her nii-san was inside one of the hotels. And he was doing things that made even the normally composed Hanabi blush. Yet she could not stop her voyeurism. Her eyes were fascinated, unable to turn away, as she took in his barely covered body, writhing atop a woman. His body looked hard and toned, glistening with sweat and his eyes were closed, his long dark hair falling carelessly over his back as his mouth moved to kiss the side of the woman's face. Suddenly, he was pulling back and bracing his hands on either side of the woman's head and his body began to move in a way that made her mouth dry and her gut clench. And he appeared to be mouthing something even as he moved against the woman. _Hinata hinata. _She had not even noticed that her mouth had dropped open into a slight 'o' as she was viewing all this. Until Neji suddenly opened his eyes and looked right at her.

_Busted!_

Her first reaction was to flee the scene. Running off, she hoped to be able to place some distance between them, anticipating that she would be safe under her father's roof before he was done. Yet Neji was faster and was waiting for her at the entrance of the Hyuuga district.

Leaning coolly against the pillar of the entranceway, he stared at her evenly as if nothing had occurred and that perhaps he was just wondering why she was coming home so late. Playing along with this charade, she ignored him and tried to walk quickly past him but his hand moved so quickly that before she knew it, he had caught her and slammed her against the pillar that he was originally leaning against. She could still feel the warmth left by his back.

"Why were you following me?" He asked calmly, as he pressed his forearm against her windpipe, just barely crushing it. He was so close to her that she could feel his breath against her face. He smelt of sweat and some kind of musky scent which Hanabi equated to sex.

"You can have me instead."

She was surprised by the bold words that left her mouth, yet she had never felt so sure of anything before. His proximity was intensely arousing.

Neji backed off immediately as if her words had worldly weight and had flung him physically backwards. He frowned and looked at her in confusion and suddenly she felt that she had the upper hand. She moved forward even as he backed away, daringly grabbed the opening of his kimono shirt before pulling herself to him and pressing her lips against his. He paused right after she kissed him and she began to kiss him hungrily, her tongue pressing insistently against his lips, trying to force entry. It did not matter to her that these very lips had only a few minutes ago been kissing a whore's or that he was being unresponsive. She wanted him, now, if possible.

He finally parted his lips. She would never know if it was inadvertent or if he was relenting. However, because he did not push her away, she took it as his consent. He let her ravage his mouth before he eventually pulled away with a half-muttered, "Not here." They were after all still standing at the entrance to the Hyuuga district.

"My room," She panted even as she tried to press up urgently against him.

And that was how their sordid affair began. It was only five simple words that spawned it and yet those five words completely changed her life. Even as she goaded herself not to cry as Neji pounded against her from behind, she could not help but admit that each time he moaned Hinata's name, it felt as if a knife was slowly cutting into her heart.


	3. Hiashi's Diamond Heart

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Hiashi's Diamond Heart**

When his twin brother was killed on his behalf, Hiashi felt as if his heart had splintered into two. After his wife's death, Hiashi was inconsolable. He neglected his duties as the Hyuuga clan leader and his two daughters. Everything had become secondary to him; the only importance was to spend every minute of every day sitting before the clan shrine, staring hard at their memorials.

Yet no matter how long he sat there reminiscing, no matter how many times he swore that he would never forget them, they still remained dead. His love for them was a raging fire, unquenchable because the people he loved were gone, unable to return it, leaving him a shell of the man he once was. If it were not for the rude awakening that his somewhat tactless father had given him, he would have still remained in that fugue. As it were, he decided that he had to harden his heart and to refrain from showing too much affection to people so as to be able to keep his head at all times. Being in control of all your emotions was in essence what he assumed would make a great leader.

And so it began. He placed his once favoured eldest daughter, Hinata, at arms length. She reminded him entirely too much of his wife and so it was easier just to avoid her. Seeing her brought up way too many memories and feelings of which he was trying to steer clear of. Perhaps her sub-par skills were partially due to his neglect of her; however he refused to acknowledge this, instead insisting on her slowness and ineptitude.

Towards Hanabi, he devoted all his time and attention, yet it was not out of love for her but more to develop her as a weapon. A tool which he could use and brandish to the council. He may not have sired the Hyuuga genius but one of his daughters was not to be underestimated. Although she was not the rightful heir, she was still from the Main Hyuuga family and if the rightful heir herself was found unsuitable, perhaps she could make for a befitting replacement.

So in this way, Hiashi still remains a shell of the man he once was, yet as a shell, he would experience less intensity of emotions and thus his heart would never really be in danger of getting hurt again. It would just be cold and hard and unbreakable, like a diamond.


	4. Hinata's Misconceptions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Hinata's Misconceptions**

Everyone had always looked down upon this little wisp of an heir. The words incompetent and useless were nothing new to her. In fact, they had become commonplace adjectives used to describe her. Perhaps that spoke for her low self-esteem. Although an integral part of the Hyuuga, she felt that she had to be the most un-Hyuuga-like person in the family. Watching her sister and cousin, she felt that both were infinitely more suitable to be in her position than herself. Thus, it was no surprise when her father informed her that Hanabi was not to be marked with the cursed seal. The unspoken entreaty was there. _If you are found unsuitable, Hanabi shall be the back-up heir._ Hinata understood that this was the way of the Hyuuga. They had no room for weaknesses and to them, the emotions that Hinata wore on her sleeve, were considered a great weakness, not to mention her less than stellar fighting abilities.

Yet for all their lauded strength and greatness, Hyuuga Hinata was the only one who could truly see beyond the formalities and the rules they had constructed to bind themselves. That would be the main reason why she would not give up her leadership without a fight. She only wanted to be heir to free them all from the rules and regulations of old. She did not want the Hyuuga to remain as caged birds, unable to spread their wings and follow their own destinies. And so, she continued to bear with her father's and the council's disappointment and dissatisfaction with her. She understood where they were coming from.

Although most of the time her sister seemed to brim with smugness towards her, she could still see the envy in her sister's eyes when Hanabi thought she was not looking. "_Poor Hanabi_," Hinata thinks to herself. "_Do you really want to be heir that badly?_" Hinata pities her sister for her envy because she thinks that being the Hyuuga heir would bring more burdens than satisfaction and would be more than glad to give her title away if only she could. But Hinata did not wish to give the burden of effecting change to Hanabi. In fact, she was not certain if Hanabi would bring about changes or remain a pawn for the council. She did not yet know that Hanabi coveted something _more_.

Towards her cousin, Hinata finds him the hardest to decipher. Even though they had been sparring regularly with one another for the past year, Hinata still finds him a difficult foe to read. His moves always changed as did his tactics. They did not change drastically, as he still always utilized the same Hyuuga taijutsu techniques, however, the way he used them always changed. In the same way, she felt his emotions were like this too, only less precise. Tangled and confused but always the same. Oftentimes, she would catch him studying her with something akin to longing but she cannot understand it fully. Hinata can only speculate that Neji too wants to be in her position. He wants to be heir as well. And for his want, he had her greatest sympathy because Hanabi's desire could possibly be achieved but Neji's would never come true even though truthfully, he would make the most fitting leader of them all.

In the end, Hinata regrets being born as the heir because she feels that all her familial relationships were tainted by this supposed position of power. Either they coveted the position or they thought her unworthy of it. Nobody, nobody in Hyuuga really just loved her for her. That is why she has to sacrifice herself and her relationships to ensure that real change will occur within the family so that no one else would ever have to endure the rules and traditions she had to grow up with, the ones they had to follow unquestionably, that ignores the welfare of the individual Hyuuga but lauds the entire clan. She really does love her family; it is a pity that none love her back.

**A/N: **Thanks everyone for your feedback. I was spurred to write a bit more but am still unsure if I'll really make this into a story since I'm quite happy to continue with drabbles, but we'll see. :P


	5. Neji's Awareness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Neji's Awareness**

It was another busy day of tedium. At the behest of his uncle, Neji had been shadowing him for the past few weeks to learn the inner workings of the clan. This new development has Neji puzzled but his uncle had assured him that doing this will enable him to be better equip to aid the future Hyuuga clan leader. Of whom this role would go to, his uncle had been purposely vague and Neji did not feel it was his place to press further. Yet being given this opportunity but denied the rights to speak out aggravated Neji greatly; hence at night, Neji worked his frustrations out on his _cousin_, the _younger_ one.

She was not his first choice; just a most convenient replacement and he had privately christened her as Hinata II. After all, during his night sessions with her, he never spoke her real name, preferring to refer to her as Hinata and insisting she called him nii-san. During this period, he had taken to going to her almost nightly, tearing wantonly at her nightclothes in his urgency to get to her. Needing her in order not to lose control of his urges in front of Hinata seemed to be an excuse now. He did not meet Hinata for training everyday, yet he seemed to come to her more and more often. It began to appear as if he just plainly wanted her.

Mostly he never stayed the entire night, leaving just before the break of dawn and she understood why. In a household like theirs, the walls themselves had eyes. One night however, when he had been away for a mission for an entire week and upon returning, had flown to her room like a moth drawn to a flame, she lost control of herself. Hanabi said the forbidden words which made Neji sit up mentally.

"Nii-san, I love you." She moaned into his ear as she shuddered against him, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him, as if she would never let him go.


	6. Hanabi's Manipulations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

A/N: I apologise that there seems to be so much Neji/Hanabi going on however, please be patient. I need some time to establish my plots. Also in my last chapter, Neji's Awareness, I meant to show that Neji felt he was suffocating in his affair with Hanabi in my last paragraph so that should already highlight that Neji/Hanabi is not going to be a mainstay. I guess in the end, this story is more Hyuugacest than Neji/Hina/Hana. I would have chosen three people if allowed me.

**Hanabi's Manipulations**

An entire week had passed since _that_ night he had returned from his mission and Neji still had not come to her. Noting his presence during dinner time, she knew that he had not been sent out on an extended mission so she could not fathom the reason for his continued absence.

She woke early on one of the usual mornings when he had training with Hinata and hurried to the training area. There he was going through the katas with her sister, yet he had not come to her the night before like he usually would. Flurries of anxious thoughts went through her head. Did he stop desiring her? Had she suddenly become unattractive to him? Or was there _another_ woman? Her Byakugan eyes were fixed covertly on him while her mind pondered on what had gone wrong.

Her sister noticed her arrival and bided Neji to stop their practice for a moment. Hanabi stared almost accusingly at Neji as her sister walked up towards her with him following not too far behind.

"Hanabi?" Hinata's smiling acknowledgement seemed to end with a question as if she was puzzled by her sister's sudden appearance. Neji was frowning as he returned her stare briefly before looking away. Interruptions were not something he appreciated as Hanabi well knew. Hinata noticed that her stare was directed to behind her so she turned to look inquisitively at Neji only to find that he was already standing off to the side with a bored expression on his face as if saying, _"Can we get on with it already."_

"Hanabi?" Hinata has turned back to her again and this time the question was more pronounced.

"Onee-san, I woke up early so I thought I would come here to watch you and Nii-san spar." A glib excuse slipped out of her lips even as she pasted a mock-sincere grin on her lips. Behind Hinata's back, she caught sight of Neji rolling his eyes, _if one could roll his eyes with pupiless eyes_.

At this little lie, her sister's face lit up with a bright smile and she said cheerfully, "We were just practicing our katas but we will spar now." Hanabi nodded mutely and proceeded to seat herself at the edge of the training grounds while Hinata walked back to the center with Neji in tow.

Although supposedly watching the spar, her eyes were mostly just focused on Neji and his flawless, almost elegant moves while her mind was speeding through multiple tracks of thoughts. If he did not come to her last night, did he go to someone else? Was it something she said the last time they were together? Thinking back to their last encounter, she remembered the things that they did which actually made her flush slightly. Mostly whilst caught up in the moment, she never really paid attention to the words she uttered or the noises she made. Even being made to address Neji as nii-san was second nature to her since that was how she normally addressed him anyway. So what could it be?

Just then, Neji performed a sweeping kick which Hinata failed to anticipate, causing her to fall ungracefully on her butt. Neji was quick in moving to help her up again which caused Hanabi to see green. _Or did Onee-san accept him?_ Noticing the way Hinata brushed his hand off whilst blushing a bright red, Hanabi frowned. Annoyed by the incident, Hanabi got up and slip away quickly.

After dinner that evening, when everyone had retired to their respective rooms, Hanabi stewed, her annoyance having boiled over into anger as the day went by. How could he do this to her? What did he take her for? A toy to be discarded when he tired of it? She was from the main family after all and he better treat her as such! Deciding that all these angry thoughts should not just remain as thoughts, Hanabi left her room swiftly, fully intending to share them with the perpetrator who had riled her up so.

Stealing through the Hyuuga compound, she was soon at the Branch members' living quarters. Standing outside of Neji's room, she paused in hesitation, the butterflies in her stomach starting to cause her some discomfort. This was the first time she was here and she wondered if she would be welcomed. Finally, the impetuous side of her won out and deciding that since he had made her so angry, he did not deserve any politeness on her part so she shoved the wooden door roughly aside and strode into his room like she had every right to be there, hoping against hope not to catch him in any compromising situation, _especially with her sister_. Actually, on a sidenote, she had already checked on her sister before proceeding to Neji's quarters.

Neji looked up in surprise from his table. He had been reading a manual when she had so rudely disrupted his privacy. She quickly closed the door then went to him, planting her lips on his half-open mouth before he could say anything. This was unprecedented; her coming to his room, which explained Neji's shocked reaction. Before she could wriggle her tongue into his mouth however, Neji shoved her roughly off him, causing her to land somewhat unceremoniously on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" His question was cold as ice, matching the coolness of his glare.

Returning the glare with one of her own, she demanded, "Where have you been for the past week? Did you find some new young thing that suited your fancy or did _she_ respond to your advances?" There was venom in her accusations which caused Neji's face to darken. The butterflies in her stomach increased and she wondered if she had pushed his buttons a little too hard.

"Get out of my room," His voice was little more than a chilly whisper as he got up and turned his back towards her, intently focusing on the view outside his window as if he could not even bear to look at her now.

"And what if I don't?" Hanabi continued on brashly as she got up, brushing herself off.

There was a long pregnant pause, causing Hanabi's discomfiture to increase. Neji seemed intent on ignoring her now. Taking a few cautious steps towards his stoic back, she hurriedly wrapped her arms around him, pressing her pitifully undeveloped chest hard against him. She felt him stiffen as she embraced him from behind and continued to whimper piteously "Please nii-san, I really need you." If forcefulness wouldn't get him, perhaps tears would. Plotting and manipulating were traits innate to Hanabi, something her father, a Hyuuga clansleader, could really appreciate. In the end, Neji could only do one thing. Relent.


	7. Hiashi's Plan

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Hiashi's Plan**

_The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry - Robert Burns_

People who think that Hiashi does not know the minute details happening under his nose are wrong. Hiashi is acutely aware. He makes sure he is aware for if he were in the dark, he would not have survived for as long as he has as the Hyuuga leader. He knows of the plots to overthrow him if he advocates Hinata's right to rule because they think a weak leader will destroy the clan. He knows of the plans the council has of betrothing Hinata to Neji, in effect, making her a branch member. He knows of the affection his nephew has for his daughter and that Neji would be delighted to hear the news. He knows of the frequent visits same nephew pays to his _other_ underage daughter, the _one_ the council wishes to appoint as the official heir. He knows about Hanabi's manipulative streak, the trait that would make her a formidable Hyuuga leader. He knows about Hinata's _intent_ to fight for the Hyuuga leadership, yet for all his ability to read people, his oldest daughter remains an enigma. What he does not know is _why_ she would covet the position.

Some may say if a father knows that his underage daughter is performing sexual acts with her cousin, should he not step in to put a stop to that? What kind of father would not? Hiashi is _that_ kind of father. He thinks that he is looking at the bigger picture, the greater scheme of things. The Hyuuga like to think themselves as masters of foresight. He does not put a stop to Neji and Hanabi because he thinks that they will produce a child of great talent, Neji having already proved his worth as a genius and Hanabi, having outshone her sister in terms of her abilities would be better genetic stock than Hinata. To Hiashi, Neji and Hanabi could produce the third generation heir before Neji is to be betrothed to Hinata. At least that was his plan.


	8. Hinata's Difficulties

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.**

**Hinata's Difficulties**

It came sooner than she had hoped. The day that her father, Hyuuga-san, bade her into his room and gave her these solemn news. On her twenty-first birthday, she was to marry her cousin, Hyuuga Neji and become a Branch family member, thereby renouncing her right as heir. In her place, the council will appoint her sister, Hanabi. The decision had been made behind closed doors. Her opinion was never an option. _So this was the method the elders conceived to get rid of her. _There was only one thing she could do when faced with such circumstances. _The time has come for Hinata to show the Hyuuga her mettle._

"A…and if I r…r..refuse?" Hinata stubbornly forced the words from her lips even as her fist clenched so tightly whilst resting on her lap, her nails gorging into the soft flesh of her palm, leaving deep marks. Her head was still bowed, her hair covering her face, masking her anguish, or so she thought. It was fortunate that this meeting only consisted of her father and her. She did not think she would have had the strength to even put up any form of resistance if she were facing the entire council.

Hiashi sighed. Indeed he could not understand her. "I am giving you a way out." He said as reasonably as he could. He had to admit that he was unused to facing resistance from this, his meek daughter.

"W….what if I…I…d.don't w…w..want a w..waaay out?" Hinata knew she was testing her father's patience. In all honesty, she was amazed that her father had not already demand that she acquiesced without question and dismissed her as was typical of him.

His tone became distinctly colder, "If you can't even look up when you speak or even speak clearly, what makes you think you can be a strong leader?"

There was a reason why she had refused to face her father directly. She knew it was a losing battle. Her tears had already fallen the minute she heard the news. If he saw her face now, streaky with tears, he would feel justified in his original assumption of her weakness. Yet she had no choice now. Looking up, she showed him her tear-stained face and struggled to control her trembling. This was her last stand.

"A l..leader need not only be strong, but should also have the interest of the clan at heart. However, the clan is not just a clan but also a f..f..family. I..I wish to u..unite us and s…stop the s..s..segregation b..between Main and Branch." There. She had said it. She had stated her heartfelt wish for the clan and the reason why she would not relinquish her title coherently. A little flush of accomplishment swept through her being and she hastily swiped at her face, trying to remove traces of her tears.

Her father seemed to be considering her words, yet his next statement made her deflate. "That is all well and good. Perhaps you can bring this up during the council meetings in future. After all, I believe once you are married to Neji, you will both be the Branch family's council representatives." Not only did he make her deflate, he also ignited a spark of something inside her. Her father was purposely not listening to her. He sounded as if he were taunting her and belittling her dream.

Lowering her head once again, she muttered, "And what about Neji?"

"What about him?" His pompous voice was starting to grate on her nerves.

"Does he agree?"

"He doesn't have a choice in the matter." His snide tone again. Strange thoughts were brewing within her. Was this what real anger felt like?

It was too much! They were marrying her off to her cousin without both their consent. She could not fathom what Neji would do but she had to stop this from going beyond this room. Images of Neji flying into a rage, killing all who stood in his way flashed through her mind, followed by someone activating the cursed seal, sealing his fate. She still remembers clearly his anger towards the Main family for binding him in chains, leaving him a caged bird without a choice but to build on that rage. She had after all been on the receiving end of his anger once when she was thirteen. She loved and respected Neji too much to subject him to this again, especially something as important as marriage. His father, Hizashi, had at least _chosen_ to die, let Neji _choose_ who he wants to marry.

"I do not agree!" The words burst forth unrestrainedly from her this time without stammers. This surprised both her father and herself.

Only her father's surprise turned into anger, "You will do as I command! This conversation is over!" Her father got up as a sign that she was dismissed.

So be it, if they wanted to play by the rules, she too, would invoke them. Hinata had made it a point to read about the Hyuuga rules and regulations after her father had informed her about the decision not to mark Hanabi. She knew that _this _day would eventually come, the day she dreaded when she would have to invoke this particular tradition.

"Father, is it not a tradition in the Hyuugas that a new heir must fight the contested heir for his or her position?" Her father turned to look at her in shock. Was it the surprise at hearing her speak without stammering or shock that she knew about this particular tradition? Hinata would never know but she bit her lip hard, the pain steeling her from the accursed trembling. Her father and the council always reduced her to this.

After a brief pause, whereby her father managed to school his face back into a stoic mask, he replied, "You do not wish to invoke that."

"I do." Her adrenaline was coming in droves now, giving her courage. She hoped it would not wear off soon.

"You don't know what you're saying." Her father said dismissively.

"I do!" This time her voice was louder, almost a desperate yell. She wished he would take her seriously for once!

"It is a battle to the death." Her father eyed her carefully as he said that, pausing before continuing dramatically, "You wish to kill Hanabi?"

Her father knew her weakness too well. Her compassion. Tears welled and spilled over her lids. Hinata slumped forward in defeat.

"I..it's n..not that. Y..you can a..appoint s..s..someone to take her p..place in battle." She whispered weakly as a last ditch effort. Perhaps death would be better. Yes. An honourable death.

"Someone? Who? You know everyone here is better than you in Jyuuken." A brief pause followed by, "Is this your way of trying to get out of marriage? You know, it would hurt your cousin to know that you would rather die than marry him." Why did her father always know exactly where to stab the knife? Each of his counter-statements felt like a fatal stab wound.

" No…" was her weak reply but Hinata had thus forgotten her real reason for opposing her father. She could only lay there and weep, ashamed at her own weakness and failure. Her father watched her for a moment before walking over, "Compose yourself! It is time to call in Neji and inform him of this news." He moved to the door and slid it open, walking down the hall, he went to tell a servant to call upon Neji.

Hinata, left on her own, tried to swallow her tears. By the time her father, with Neji in tow, entered the room; her breathing was nearly back to normal although the redness of her eyes and nose could not be masked. She lowered her head instead, hiding behind her hair once more. "Otou-san, Nii-san" Hinata greeted each of them softly, her voice slightly hoarse from the crying.

Neji took a seat beside her and together they faced Hiashi who had returned to his seat on the raised dais. Hiashi addressed Neji as he spoke, "I have called you in to inform you of some _good_ news."

A/N: Sorry I had to end on such a cliffhanger but I already wrote the next part so it should be coming soon. Look forward to a bit of Neji/Hinata next chapter.


	9. Neji's Reaction

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

**Neji's Reaction**

When Neji entered the room with Hiashi, he was a little surprised to see Hinata already there. It was obvious to him that she had been crying despite the way she tried to hide behind her hair.

"Otou-san, Nii-san" Hinata greeted each of them softly, her voice sounding slightly hoarse. Neji wondered what Hiashi had said to make her cry like this. Normally, he knew Hinata would endure each lecture and rebuke her father gave, crying only after the fact because she knew he hated seeing her tears and would just abuse her even more. Today must have been very harsh for Hinata to breakdown like this.

Neji took a seat beside her and together they faced Hiashi who had returned to his seat on the raised dais. Hinata was trembling beside him. What is Hyuuga-san going to say? Neji steeled himself for some bad news and was amazed when Hiashi announced this, "I have called you in to inform you of some good news." Neji felt Hinata trembling even harder as if about to burst out of her skin at any given moment. Neji resisted the urge to turn his head to look at her, keeping his face straight and blank, although he could not stop the shiver that ran up his spine. He wondered how awful Hiashi's bad news must be if his good news already inspired such terror. Bracing himself, Neji forced himself to ignore his trembling cousin and concentrate on the man before him.

"The council and I have decided that you, Neji, and Hinata are to be wed." Hiashi pronounced and looked expectantly down at him.

"G..g..gomen…" he heard Hinata whisper softly beside him even as she bent lower as if trying to implode in on herself.

Neji was stunned speechless, his usual blank mask unable to cover up his astonishment. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that this would happen. Hinata and him are to be married? His desire would finally be legitimate. He moved his mouth as if in an attempt to find the words to express his feelings but Hiashi cut it short.

"We will have an official betrothal ceremony in a month's time and the wedding will be held on Hinata's 21st birthday. You know what to do." Hiashi gave him a penetrating look as he said that causing a hitch in Neji's heartbeat. Does he know?

After informing them that Hinata was to become a Branch family member once they were married, Hiashi dismissed them rather abruptly. As Neji followed Hinata out, his thoughts whirled while his eyes followed her wavering steps. Was she to be marked with the cursed seal?

He had barely just closed the sliding door to Hiashi's study when Hinata's show of strength wilted and she slumped against the wall of the hallway. "Hinata-sama." Concern filled his voice as he moved to help her. She still looked beautiful to him even with her bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face. She was to be his wife. The words reverberated in his head. A slight glow of pride swelled up within him however, another thought came along, causing it to fade away. What if she does not want to be?

"G…gomen." She whispered again, her eyes downcast, as if too ashamed to face him. "I was not s…strong..e..enough." Neji did not understand what she meant exactly but he supposed that she meant that she was not strong enough to oppose her father. In which case, he had to assume the position that this was not exactly what he wanted either.

"We don't have a choice." He said after a brief moment of silence, his face a blank mask once more and his tone was his usual flat one. "We shoud go. This is not the place to talk." His head indicated the closed door as he pulled her into his arms, to support her weak and faltering legs. She smelled of moonflower, delicious and romantic. She reminded him of a damsel in distress of whom he had to save. It made his heart beat faster.

Surprisingly, Hinata did not jump away or squeal girlishly while turning bright red when he had pulled her into his arms. Perhaps the shock of the news had distraught her so much that she had not even notice this deviation from her usual behavior. Neji noted that he should enjoy it while it lasted. As they walked, she continued speaking albeit in a stammer. "I..If I had b..been s..strong enough, w…we m..might have a c..c..choice." Hinata stammered out. Neji raised an eyebrow but kept his silence. "M..my w..weakness led to y..you not having a c..c..choice."

They had finally arrived at her room and this was when she realized the rather compromising position she was in. Giving a sharp squeak as strength suddenly flowed back into her out of sheer mortification, Hinata jumped about a half meter away from Neji, her face flushing entirely red as she looked away from him. "G..g..gomen." This time she was stuttering from embarrassment.

Neji stared at her for a few seconds before he smirked almost imperceptibly. For the first time in his adult life, Neji felt unadulterated joy. Yes! She was going to be his wife. His precious, beautiful Hinata. It was almost too good to be true. But what about Hanabi? What would Hinata say if she found out? Does she even love me? Will she ever? Finally, the key of the matter struck Neji awake from his reverie and his heart fell. She was probably forced into this, just like he was, only for his part, he was a mostly willing party.

It was then that Neji realized she had been talking while still looking away from him. Upon this realization, her voice began to filter into his consciousness. "….s..should go r..rest. T..thank you for y..y..your help a..and…" There was a pause before she went on, "Gomenasai." She bowed low as she said this. He wanted to touch her, to feel her soft skin, to stop her from constantly apologizing. Another pressing thing he wanted to know was how she felt about their impending marriage. Yet Neji being himself was unable to talk openly about such things as feelings and emotions and so he let it passed, despite the urgency to know. Hence, he returned her bow as a formal acknowledgement of her dismissal and watched silently as she entered her room and slid her door closed.


	10. Hanabi's Machinations

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

**Hanabi's Machinations**

_For all her machinations, it still led to this._

The news reached her the very night it was announced. The greatest irony came in the form of the person who broke the news to her, although upon reflection, she should not have been surprised.

Neji himself had turned up in her room the evening after his meeting with Hiashi and Hinata. At first, Hanabi had been delighted when she heard the familiar sound of her window screen being pushed aside and detected his familiar chakra presence. Heart pounding, she had tried to keep up the charade of being asleep but Neji had placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her rather hard.

"Ouch, I know you like to play but not so rough, Nii-san," Hanabi had tried to tease him coyly but Neji had just given her an annoyed look before pulling back. Hanabi was puzzled. Usually by this time, he would be tearing her night yukata off. Blinking slightly, she wondered if Neji wanted to fool around before they got down to business so she tried to shrug one side of her yukata off her shoulder, attempting to look seductive and coy at the same time.

However, Neji was in a no-nonsense mood. Moving to the window, he turned his back to her. "I have something to tell you."

"Oh?" Hanabi was all ears since Neji rarely said much to her.

"Hinata and I are to be engaged in a month's time."

"What?!" The exclamation came louder than expected and she would have woken up the entire household if Neji did not move so quickly to her side and cupped his hand over her mouth, muffling her shout. He glared at her as if warning her not to shout if he released his hand from her mouth. She indicated that she would not and thus he released his hold on her. "You're not joking?" This time her voice was a modicum softer but could still barely be considered a whisper.

He shook his head even as he continued to stare at her evenly.

"B..but…when? Who set this up?" She of course immediately knew only one person in the family could have dictated this, yet she wanted to deny it all the same. _Let him lie to me so we can continue this charade._

"Your father told me today." Neji gave her a strange look as he said this.

"You need to promise me something." Neji was still staring at her as he said this. She could drown in his eyes forever. He made her short of breath. He could always make her feel like this. Hanabi blinked. It seemed to break the spell because Neji had retreated from her although his eyes were still fixed on her.

"What?" She had a gnawing feeling that she would not like his request.

"What happened between us must stop and nobody must find out about it." Neji was speaking very deliberately now.

"But Nii-san….," Hanabi tried to swipe a hand to grab hold of his sleeve, "I…I…l…l…lo…," Hanabi could not bring herself to say it especially when she saw the look in his eyes. She knew it well. He had locked himself away from her and she would not be able to penetrate into his shell. Even if she spilled the beans on her emotions, Neji will not be moved. Hanabi, though young, could read the nuances in people's behaviour very well, especially that of her Nii-san. Swallowing hard to compose herself, Hanabi decided to try tact, "Do you want to marry her?"

Neji seemed to snicker at the question even as he answered it, "You should know that answer well enough."

"But does she want to marry you?" Seeing Neji pause, Hanabi decided to continue pressing her point, "Does she love you, Nii-san?" Hanabi beseeched even as she crawled up to snuggle against Neji's side.

Neji seemed to be uncertain now but his response was as usual, blameless. "We don't have a choice. Your father made the decision for us." Neji turned to look at her, his eyes large and round. She swore she could almost see the moon reflected in his orbs.

"But this doesn't mean we have to stop right, Nii-san? We can still be together." Hanabi, still lost in his eyes, moved closer to him however just as she was about to kiss him, Neji pushed her away and stood up.

"Don't. I told you we must stop. I will not cheat on Hinata anymore, especially since we will be engaged." Neji moved towards the window and pushed it open. Turning to give her a penetrating look, he said, "Remember what I said, Hanabi. No one must find out about this. If not, I will never forgive you." And with that he was gone, like the wind.

To Hanabi, Hinata had won. She had Neji's love, and now Neji himself. It was all too much for her to bear. In her life, Hanabi had always thought the one constant would be that her elder sister, the failure, would always lose to her. Yet in this respect, the area of love, Hinata had unknowingly gained the victory. Hanabi despised her 'loss' in what she considered to be a very unfair game, refusing to believe that she was really just jealous. Unbeknownst to her, or perhaps she conveniently chose to ignore the fact that it was also a one-sided game of hearts. Hanabi vs. a phantom Hinata. For all her precociousness, she was still only a child.

Hence, Hanabi spent that night slowly decimating every single article of clothing she could find in her room. Hanabi does not cry, she does spiteful things with her hands when she's upset. In her destructive frenzy, she also made a resolution to confront her father on his terribly mistaken decision. Why marry Hinata to Neji? They were so obviously incompatible. He should be engaged to her instead. They made a much better couple. Thoughts like these kept going around in her head, and a few times, Hanabi was tempted to come clean to her father so that Neji would be made to marry her, however, his last words kept reverberating in her head. _I will never forgive you._ Neji could be so very cruel. Hanabi stared at her flat little stomach and started hitting on it. _Useless womb! If only I were pregnant!_

The next day, the entire household was abuzz with much chatter and gossip about the upcoming engagement and the preparations required with only a month to spare. Everywhere Hanabi went, she would hear something she much rather not hear. Glaring murderously at whoever even gave the slightest peep about the coming engagement, Hanabi went around with a dark cloud hovering over her head. She also dared with her eyes, any of the servants who cleared her room to make any remarks about what they found. Everyone was surprisingly circumspect around her which led Hanabi to suspect that maybe their secret was not so secret after all.

Towards the end of the day, Hanabi was just about to tear her hair out in frustration, when her father made the request to see her. This sudden meeting made her spirits rise a little. It was fated, this meeting with her father was meant to be an opportunity for her to confess the truth, never mind that Neji had said that he would never forgive her. She decided that she would rather have him physically with her than not have him at all. Her stomach filled with butterflies once again, Hanabi headed into her father's study, determined to go ahead with her plan.

"_I will never forgive you." _His voice reverberated in her mind again as she slid the door open and stepped into the room.

_Please forgive me, Neji. I love you too much to let you go. _She was _that_ selfish, yet she was oblivious to the fact. She thought she was being noble and romantic, chasing after the wanton dreams of love and disguising the truth of what she was really doing. She would rather have him by her side, hating her, than have him happy with her sister.


	11. Unrequited: Interlude 1

**Author's Notes**: It was my original intention to try to write some NejiHina fluff for people who kept requesting for it but the story turned out like this. I'm sorry but I don't think I'm good at writing fluff. This story is more dramatic and serious so fluff wouldn't really fit into it. Maybe next time I might write a separate fluff story if time permits.

This is an interlude, it happens during Chapter 6, **Hanabi's Manipulations**.

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

**Unrequited: Interlude 1**

Extending his hand to her, Neji proffered to help her up from her fall. Blushing slightly from embarrassment at her carelessness as well as shame felt from performing so poorly in front of Hanabi, Hinata was loathed to take his hand. Yet he seemed insistent that she did so because he even reached to grab her hand and pull her up.

Hinata's eyes anxiously wandered to where her sister was previously sitting and felt slight relief to see that she had left. Having to handle her smug, '_I'm better than you_' looks could sometimes be too much to bear. She would rather not see her sister's taunting face even though she knew what was going through Hanabi's head.

Neji's eyes had also glanced towards the spot where Hanabi had been sitting. He knew she had left the minute he reached out to pull Hinata up. "You were not concentrating just now." He said quietly as he turned his eyes back to her.

Her blush deepened, his statement made her slightly uncomfortable. Her cousin could always read her so well. He continued even as she maintained her silence, "You need to stop becoming so nervous when fighting before an audience. That is one of your greatest weaknesses." She nodded, knowing that Neji was just pointing this out as a form of instruction and not with the intention to insult her.

Placing a hand on her shoulder which caused her to look up in astonishment at him, their eyes finally met. "You and I both know that you have improved immensely over the past year. It is time for you to get over your nervousness and show everyone what you are truly capable of." With this encouragement, Neji graced her with a rare slight smile which in turn caused Hinata to smile back too. Dropping his hand from her shoulder, he announced that today's training session had to stop here as he had to go to see Tsunade-sama. Hinata also said she had to go to the academy too to borrow a book on medical ninjutsu. After arranging to walk to the academy together, both went back to the Hyuuga compound for breakfast.

After meeting at the Hyuuga compound entrance, Neji and Hinata set off. On the way to the academy, they met Naruto and Sakura who were walking towards the training grounds.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto called out loudly while flashing a large wide smile. Sakura also beamed at them, inclining her head slightly at Neji to indicate her greeting before they both headed towards the Hyuugas. "Eh…where are you two going?" Naruto was never too shy to butt his nose into other people's business although he was by no means doing it with malicious intent. Sakura, however, was more adept in the structure of acceptable social behaviour and bobbed Naruto on the head for his intrusion.

"Ow…Sakura-chan, what was that for?" Naruto had turned indignant blue eyes onto his teammate, little noticing the strange red tomato that Hinata had frozen into. Neji though had noticed it and was thoroughly displeased; one could even call him jealous even though he knew he had absolutely no right.

Having noticed the Hyuuga girl's uneasiness and the strange way Neji was looking at them, Sakura then attempted to divert Naruto's attention away. She could almost sense the killing instinct in Neji. Grinning a bit too widely, Sakura quickly excused themselves and almost physically manhandled Naruto into walking away. Sakura had always known that Hinata had the largest crush on Naruto but even at this age, she was still unable to get over her crippling shyness to speak with Naruto. In any case, she did not wish to get into a fight with Neji and from the vibes she was getting from him; it might have turned out inevitable if they had remained. So retreat, Sakura did. Not that she underestimated Naruto's ability to win in a fight against Neji but there were some weird and complicated family issues there that Sakura knew better than to tangle with.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata finally managed to whisper softly after he had left.

Neji gave her a disdainful look. She was still blushing hotly and he wondered if in his lifetime, he would ever be able to make her feel this way about him. His nostrils flaring in agitation, Neji asked brusquely, "So are you intending to continue standing here or are you coming?" When he received no response, Neji walked ahead in annoyance.

Her eyes were fixed on the retreating backs of Naruto and Sakura, their image getting smaller the further they walked from them. Sighing inwardly, Hinata knew that Naruto and she could never be. She had placed him on a pedestal, making him nigh unattainable to herself. She was only bold enough to watch his retreating back and hope that he did not think too badly of her. Turning her eyes sadly to Neji's also retreating back, she hurried forward to catch up with him. However, the damage was done. Neji was cool towards her for the rest of their walk, the friendly camaraderie was gone.

That evening when Hanabi had come brashly into his room, Neji had been resolute in resisting her. Even her kiss held no warmth for him. Yet as he was standing by his window trying to ignore her, the events of the day returned to him. He thought with a pang that no matter what he did, Hinata could never be his. Her eyes would never look upon him the same way they did at Naruto. Maybe he should just settle for Hanabi who was so insistent in throwing herself at him. Even as he thought that, Hanabi slithered her thin arms around him while pressing her small body against his back.

"Please nii-san, I really need you." His poignant thoughts, her plaintive pleas broke through his resolute shield and that was why he gave in to her. Why he took her hand from his chest and lifted it to his lips. Why he turned around and rubbed the tears from her eyes with the pad of his thumbs. Why he forced himself to open his eyes even as he slept with her to remind himself that this was Hanabi and not _Hinata_.


	12. Hiashi's Promise

A/N: Sorry everyone for not updating in the longest time.I promise some Neji/Hina next chapter. Thanks for your continued support. Hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

**Hiashi's Promise**

Looking up from his writing as he heard the door being slid opened, Hiashi was greeted with the sight of his younger daughter, stepping into the room. She was like a young female version of him, this daughter of his, while the older one was a copy of his deceased wife. Hiashi's heartstrings twanged a little but he stilled it, reminding himself of the consequences having a soft heart would entail. 

"Hanabi," He called out imperiously as he stared at her. She had been glaring at him since she entered the room but after his voice rang out, she lowered her head. Yes. He knew why she was angry. Yet to be a leader, one had to make sacrifices. This was just another test to see how _strong_ Hanabi really was.

"Otou-san," Hanabi greeted even as she lowered her head. Her fists clenched by her sides. She knew she really should be bowing and then taking a seat but she was feeling defiant.

"Take a seat," Hiashi said. _But __I'd rather stand, Otou-san. _The unvoiced rebelliousness hung between them, creating an ominous atmosphere. However, Hanabi knew, despite his cordial tone that her father was issuing a command that he expected to be obeyed. Reluctantly, she bowed stiffly before walking to the mat and kneeling on it. 

"I gather you have heard the news?" He deliberately made his statement sound more like a question. 

There was a long pause before Hanabi nodded and said a grudging, "Hai,"

"I'd expect you to be more enthusiastic than this." Hiashi added with a touch of puzzlement into his tone. 

Hanabi's head snapped up suddenly and her eyes fixed on his with a frown of determination. It seemed as if she had come to some sort of decision. "Otou-san, I need to tell you that this is a big mistake."

"A big mistake?" Hiashi raised an eyebrow at his daughter as if wondering whether she had gone slightly mad. No one ever told him that he made a mistake. Even if they wanted to, it would all have been hinted at subtly and not said point blank to his face like his daughter just did. "I thought you of all people would be ecstatic." 

"Ecstatic?" Hanabi wrinkled her nose in bewilderment. "Why would I be?" Hanabi's frown deepened.

"Hinata would be relegated to the Branch family once she marries Neji and that would leave you to be the next in line for the title of heir." He said that as if it was the most logical thing in the world. And it was. Hanabi was usually clever enough to pick up on things like that but she was obviously not thinking clearly. Hiashi wondered briefly if it was such a good idea to have let her relationship with Neji go on for quite so long. It seemed as if she had lost her edge. 

Hanabi looked slightly shocked by her father's revelation before she recollected herself. 

"But Otou-san, can't you marry Onee-chan to another Branch member?" Hanabi responded with a pout aimed at her father. Usually this aided her in getting her way.

Hiashi smirked. There was his manipulative little Hanabi again. However, this time round he would have to disappoint her. Hanabi had to learn that even a leader cannot always have his way. It was a tough lesson but there was a reason behind it.

Neji and Hinata had been betrothed since they were children, a promise that Hiashi and Hizashi made to one another when Hizashi promised his son to be Hinata's protector forever. The truth behind the required wedding was to unite their family once more, so that none of their grandchildren would be marked with the cursed seal. At least that was what Hizashi wanted. There would be no retracting the betrothal since it was well-known knowledge amongst all the older folks in the Hyuuga household, both Main house and Branch house. Hence, there was no way Hiashi could openly allow Hanabi to be with Neji. However, only a few Hyuuga elders were privy to the truth behind the betrothal and as almost all of them are of the camp that did not want Hinata as the next clan leader, none of them would speak out if Hinata was relegated to the Branch family instead. Thus, Hiashi was going to renege on the promise he made to his brother. 

_It is for the greater good, little brother. Just like your death was for the greater good. The Hyuuga will not follow a weak leader. It will rend the clan asunder._

Yet even though he tried as hard as he could to convince himself of this fact, he could not help but feel a small part of his soul dying from advocating this lie. In consolation however, he has decided not to brand Hinata even though her status would become that of a Branch family member. It was one of his terms of condition with the council. Let Hinata be the first Branch family member to be unmarked. It would be his one act of defiance and perhaps one step closer to the dream his brother and Hinata shared.

"Neji and Hinata have already been betrothed since they were young," Hiashi did not feel he had to explain the truth of his actions to Hanabi in the same way that he did not explain his decision not to brand Hinata to the council.

"But..Otou-san…" Hanabi was about to kick up a fuss and Hiashi was in no mood to entertain it. The harsh and ugly truth would surely render her speechless and malleable to his demands. Hiashi decided to come directly to the point. Yet Hanabi had a highly volatile temperament and that was possibly the one thing he overlooked.

Cutting her off, Hiashi said severely "No 'buts'. The decision is final. Now I know of your little indiscretion with Neji and truly Hanabi, it was only allowed to continue because I permitted it." Pausing briefly to allow Hanabi to digest what was said, he then continued albeit regretfully, "However, the time has come for your little game to stop. You need to let this matter go and concentrate on what lies ahead." The council had requested for Neji and Hinata to be wedded earlier than he had expected. There was no time for his third generation heir to be produced. He could only hope that Hanabi's future offspring would be as strong, if not stronger than Neji.

Hanabi had indeed been stunned into silence. Her head hung awkwardly as she stared gapingly, albeit unfocusedly at her father. Apparently the second half of what he said had entirely escaped her, quite possibly due to the fact that the first part was simply too stunning. 

"You knew?" She whispered so softly that he had to strain to hear it. 

"You knew about us all along!" Her whisper had turned into an angry yell even as she stood up to glare at her father. "Then you should know that I don't let my possessions go easily!" There was a flash of fire in her eyes. Hanabi whirled around angrily and stormed towards the exit. 

Yes. Apparently he had overlooked his daughter's feelings for Neji. Perhaps he had thought too highly of her, after all, Hanabi was really still a child and he was treating her as if she were a matured adult.

Flinging aside the sliding door roughly, Hanabi paused to find Hinata standing just outside her father's study room, looking pale and shocked. Hanabi gave her sister a look before turning her head back to throw one last potent glare at her father before she rampaged out leaving Hinata to stare dazedly at her father.


	13. Hinata's Discovery Part I

A/N: Sorry everyone for taking so long to put up this new chapter. As it is very long, I have divided it into two parts. For those who have been clamouring for some Neji/Hinata, hope this satisfy a bit of that. I must say that I think I might've wrote myself into a fix. I have yet to figure out how I am going to resolve the issue of whether Hinata found out about Hanabi and Neji yet. But we'll see how the story goes. Thanks to everyone for your kind reviews and now enough talk from me...on with the story.

_This takes place on same day as 'Hiashi's Promise' and 'Hanabi's Machinations' which is one day after Hiashi's annoucement to Hinata about her marriage to Neji._

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Hinata's Discovery Part I**

The day had begun relatively mildly compared to the emotional ups and downs she had to face from the previous day. From the announcements of her impending betrothal and marriage to her cousin Neji, to the news of her relegation to the Branch Family, essentially having to give up the title of heiress, that day could possibly be considered one of the worst in her life. Possibly. She was still uncertain how she felt about being forced into a marriage with her cousin however; the defining regret was in losing her title and being unable to fulfill her dream of uniting the Hyuuga clan into one family without a fight. For that regret, the fault could only be hers and she still blamed herself for being too weak to stand up against her father.

Still, today was a day which she had to meet Neji nii-san for training and she felt awkward at meeting him now due to the fact that soon, they would be more than just teacher and pupil, more than just cousins. She had not yet resolved what to feel towards him now and hence, an excuse was at the tip of her tongue to avoid the training session. She was almost ready to inform the servant girl to pass the message to Neji when she found a paper aeroplane sailing cheerfully into her room from her open window. It landed neatly on her bed. Hinata studied the paper plane for a while and noticed her name written on one of its wings. Peering curiously out of her window, Hinata could find no one in sight. Resisting the urge to turn on her Byakugan, Hinata pondered on the possible identity of the person who sent it. Finally, in a bid to assuage her curiosity, she unfolded it carefully. Inside was a short one line message.

_Meet me at the Hyuuga shrine instead. _

_Neji_

Hinata was stumped. Neji folding paper aeroplanes and sending them flying into her room just did not match the stoic and serious image she had of her cousin. Despite being puzzled, her curiosity was piqued by his unconventional method of communication. Sighing, she decided her excuse would have to wait. It was time to face her cousin and find out what he wanted.

At the Hyuuga shrine, Hinata saw no sign of her cousin. Wondering if he got tired of waiting, Hinata wandered anxiously back and forth until she came before her mother's memorial. Strangely, there was a rectangular piece of paper stuck to the stone with her name written on it. _Nii-san, what are you doing?_ Perplexed, Hinata pulled the paper off and opened it.

_Hinata-sama, _

_I had so many things I wanted to say to you yesterday but was unable to. I know you are probably upset at having to become a Branch house member and also being betrothed to me. I'm sorry that you will most likely be branded as a Branch house member too, but given the situation, I hope that we can make the best of it. I promise that I would do my best to take care of you and ensure no harm will come to you. If you are not turned off by this message, please proceed to the Academy playground._

_Neji_

_Nii-san, thank you._ Hinata smiled a sad smile before refolding the paper. He got some of it wrong but she was grateful for his attempts to reassure her. Hinata was not upset about being a Branch house member; neither did she care about being branded. If she had her way, everyone would either be branded or unbranded so that they could all be equal. And as for the marriage, she supposed her father could have been crueler and placed her with someone she was unfamiliar with or someone much older. Hinata cringed slightly at the thought of being betrothed to her grand uncle and shook her head vigorously to get the image out of her head. Yes. Right now, given the alternatives, her cousin did not seem like such a bad choice after all. She looked around but still could not detect Neji. _Perhaps he is waiting at the playground. What a strange game Nii-san is playing._

Proceeding to the Academy playground, Hinata kept a lookout for her cousin. Along the way, she met Sakura and Ino who wanted Hinata to join them for brunch, but Hinata was anxious not to make Neji wait and gave the excuse, "Neji nii-san is waiting for me at the Academy. I must go." Sakura gave Hinata a strange look before bidding her farewell.

After Hinata had left, Sakura whisper to Ino, "There's something strange going on between Neji and Hinata."

Ino, renowned for her ability to sniff out gossip from even the most innocent of statements, felt her ears prick up. This sound like it might be potentially juicy gossip. "What do you mean?" She tried to ask nonchalantly, while attempting to contain her interest.

Sakura, knowing Ino well enough, just threw her a look of annoyance. "I don't really know but Neji seems to have a rather territorial attitude towards her. And stop acting like that. Hinata's our friend, we should watch out for her and not spread rumors."

Ino scowled. "I wasn't intending on spreading anything." She muttered while keeping her fingers crossed and out of sight of Sakura.

Meanwhile, Hinata had reached the Academy playground and saw a familiar figure sitting on that lonesome swing hanging on the tree outside the school building. His head was bowed; his long hair covered his face as his feet dragged slowly with the movement of the swing, to and fro, to and fro. They were really too big to fit that swing now, hence his legs never really left the ground even as it swung slowly, creaking occasionally. "Nii-san," Hinata finally moved nearer towards him.

"I know I can never replace _him_ in your heart." Hinata stopped moving towards him, a blush coming on at his words. _Him. Naruto. Neji knew?_

He looked up towards her at this point continued, "And I don't want to try to compete for _that_ place, but I hope you can accept me and eventually make some room in your heart for me." It hurt him a lot to say that. Him, Hyuuga Neji, prodigy and genius, playing second fiddle to Uzumaki Naruto, a dropout. True, Naruto was no longer a dropout in his book, but all this still hurt immensely. His pride had always been very important to him. He felt that after his father's death, his pride had helped him to keep his head up and continue to train and strive hard to become what he is now. Yet, today, for a woman, he would swallow it. _Not just any woman though, only for Hinata. _

"How did you know?" Hinata had turned into a rather becoming shade of red at this time and was looking down at her feet. Anywhere but at him.

"It was obvious. You always came here to watch him when you were little. Too shy to go up and say 'Hello'. You used to hide behind that tree over there." Neji indicated the tree with a slight jerk of his head.

Hinata had turned to stare at that same tree. Indeed she had always hidden there but she had always stolen here by herself to watch Naruto and she was always so careful because her father would have had her hide if he knew. Hence, how could Nii-san have known about it? She turned questioning eyes towards him.

Neji sighed and looked away. After a pause, he said, "I was watching you watch him."

Curiosity finally overtook her and, Hinata moved until she was before Neji's sitting form. "Nii-san, why? Why were you watching me then? And why are you doing all this now?" She had known him for so long yet, he was acting in a way that was not consistent with her impression of him. He was not at all who she thought him to be. He had turned to look at her then and she could have sworn his eyes were wet.

"Because I love you."


	14. Hinata's Discovery Part II

A/N: Ok everyone...done with the super super long chapter of Hinata's Discovery. I apologise if there are a bunch of grammatical mistakes or something. I was just rushing this and trying to get it out because I just wanted to be done with this chapter and also I felt bad for making everyone wait so long.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Hinata's Discovery Part II**

"_Because I love you." _

What Neji said was so unexpected that Hinata's legs suddenly could not support her and she fell. But he caught her so swiftly and all of a sudden she was sitting on his lap on that old swing, ensconced in his arms. She looked at him, shocked speechless while he seemed to be studying her intently as if trying to gauge how she was taking his declaration.

A loud creaking sound made both of them look abruptly up at the tree trunk that supported the swing before both of them leapt off it quickly. Hurriedly turning from him, her face flushed red, Hinata made some excuse about going to find someone to repair the swing in case a kid sat on it and it fell. But Neji would not let her go. He grabbed her hand just as she was about to walk off and said, "Did you hear what I said?"

There was a tone in his voice, a break in it that made her stop. It wrung her heart, the way he had placed his emotions out in the open must have been one of the hardest things Neji ever did because she knew he was an extremely proud and private person. Yet she felt that she needed some time to digest this information. This sudden revelation was so overwhelming that she could not give him any answer and even though she would very much like to make him happy, she could not very well lie to him or herself. She had always loved him, but as a brother. Not in this way. At least, not in the way he was implying.

Turning her rather flushed face to him, she said as clearly as she could because she was actually still rather shaky from the news, "Please give me some time, Nii-san." She saw his face close up and become stoic once more and she realised that that was his defense mechanism. Not wanting him to retreat back into his shell, she raised a hand to his face in an attempt to entreat him, "I have always seen you as my brother and this is too sudden so I need to think things through. Please."

He released her hand and nodded silently, his face still impassive, but she was relieved that he had at least accepted her small gesture of comfort. She gave him a weak smile before she left him standing by the swing.

Hinata had not wanted to return to the Hyuuga estate to think things over because the atmosphere there felt too oppressive, so she headed for her Team's training grounds. Today there was no one there. It was quiet. Kiba and Shino were both out on missions. Taking a seat on a familiar log that always acted as a sort of bench for them, she stared unseeingly at the training grounds.

Neji's confession was so completely unexpected that her mind kept replaying the scene that had occurred, as if she could not believe it had actually happened. She always thought he barely tolerated her but his admission of his feelings for her had just turned things completely around. If she agreed to the marriage, _not like she had much of a choice_, she would know that at least one of them would not be unhappy about it. If Neji chose to, no, if Neji wanted to marry her perhaps she should be glad that she would be able to help him fulfill at least one dream. At the very least, she would be compensating for his father's sacrifice.

Time seemed to fly by as Hinata sat at that familiar place contemplating the situation. Every which way that she thought, she always came back to the moment when Neji had said that he loved her, his eyes wet with emotion. It was the most unguarded she had ever seen him and it touched her. Perhaps she could learn to accept him and maybe, in due course, feel the same way as he did.

A sudden thought made her sit up. Did her father know of Neji's emotions for her? Was that why he picked Neji for her instead of her grand uncle or the other cousins? This strange thought of her father actually caring about their well-being was very disquieting. Deciding to confront her father, Hinata stood up and dusted her kimono off she began walking towards the Hyuuga district.

The sun was close to setting as she neared the Hyuuga district. She began to have second doubts about approaching her father as she remembered the weak and trembling thing she always dissolved into in his presence. Yet her legs continued to bring her ever closer towards her father's closed study door.

Pausing outside the room, Hinata stared doubtfully at the door. She had done this many times. Stand outside this intimidating door. Each time she built up the nerve to approach her father, she would head for this familiar door but once she was standing outside it, all her courage would suddenly disappear leaving her to feel weak and stupid. Eventually, after staring at the door for many minutes she would normally just turn around and leave. She had also placed her father on a sort of pedestal not dissimilar from Naruto's, but one built more on fear than admiration.

Just as she was about to back away from the door as she usually would, she heard Hanabi's voice yelling from within, "You knew about us all along!? Then you should know that I don't let my possessions go easily!" Hinata paled and took a step back. Before she could go further, the door was suddenly shoved open and Hinata found herself face to face with an immensely furious Hanabi.

Hinata saw Hanabi's eyes widened briefly as she took in the sight of her sister standing in front of her. Hanabi then turned back to look at her father for another second before roughly brushing past. Hinata was left staring dazedly at her father somewhat shocked at Hanabi's behaviour towards their father. Hinata knew that if it was anyone else from the Hyuuga household yelling at her father like that, that person would now be writhing on the floor from the pain of the activated cursed seal. Even Hinata, who was unbranded, was afraid to treat her father with disrespect. Her father was very good at disciplining his clan. However, Hinata was also fairly curious as to what could have caused Hanabi to have lost her temper like this. Hanabi, although fairly spoilt and used to getting her way, was never openly rude to their father. In fact, they usually got along very well. Hinata had caught on to the word 'us' in Hanabi's angry yells and wondered if her sister had a boyfriend behind their father's back.

At this moment, Hinata was finally pried from her reverie by her father's imperious voice commanding her to enter the room. Coming to, Hinata realised she was still standing in shock outside her father's open study, gaping at him. Shivering slightly, Hinata entered the room and turned to close the door quietly. She fully expected a lecture and possible punishment for being found standing outside his study. He probably thought she was eavesdropping. Taking her familiar position on the futon before his raised dais, Hinata greeted her father before bowing her head.

"What were you doing outside my study?" Her father wasted no time in getting to the critical questions.

Hinata was silent for a while. Now seemed like the most inappropriate time to ask if her father knew of Neji's affection for her. In fact it felt like such a trivial thing. She could not believe that she had actually gotten herself into such a situation because of such a trivial curiosity. Thinking hard, Hinata came up with an excuse to answer her father's query. "Otou-san, I…I j…just came t…to call you for dinner." Hinata rushed out the last bit of her answer which quickly made it obvious that it was an excuse but Hiashi chose to overlook it.

He pressed on, "How much did you hear?"

_Hear? _Hinata really did not hear much, but she was curious to find out about whom Hanabi's secret boyfriend was. Should she take a risk and pretend that she knew? Hinata decided to take that risk and replied, "E…enough." She was glad her head was still bowed because if her father saw her face right now, he would know that she was lying. In general, Hinata was just not a very good liar. Her face turned red and she tended to stammer a lot. Fortunately, usually when speaking to her father, she also tended to stammer; hence it was a rather good cover-up.

She heard her father sigh and held her breath. Was he going to mention Hanabi's secret boyfriend? "So what do you plan to do?" His voice sounded strained. Hinata wondered if she should peek at her father. He sounded different from normal.

"Do?" Hinata risked a peek and was surprised. Her father looked rather tired and grey. Did arguing with Hanabi really drain him that much?

"You know the truth now, so what do you plan to do?" Hiashi was looking her with disappointment but for once, Hinata felt as if the disappointment was not directed at her.

Deciding to ponder on her father's reactions towards her later, Hinata tried to think about how to answer her father. Right now he thought that she knew who Hanabi was going out with. "I…I..don't know," That was the truest answer she could give because she really did not even know what her father was asking her or what he wanted her to do.

"What about the marriage?" Her father continued looking at her.

"M..marriage?" Hinata stammered uncertainly, unsure of where this was going.

"To Neji." Her father gave her a weird look.

"Oh….to Neji…" Hinata could not for the life of her figure out why her father was going off on such a strange tangent. From Hanabi's outburst to her marriage to Neji. There was no correlation between those two topics. Hinata tried to swallow her puzzlement and answer the question as straight-faced as she could. Fortunately to her right now, the marriage was a factual thing whose answer they all knew so her answer came easily without the need to think of a lie. "I…it w…will happen w…when I turn 21 right?" Hinata's eyes widened as if seeking confirmation from her father.

Hiashi's reaction really confused her. Her father had suddenly sat up and was staring at her as if he could not understand what she was saying. Were the words coming from her mouth so alien? Was she talking in gibberish? "You don't mind?" he said and there seemed to be some astonishment in his tone.

_Mind? What is he talking about? _Thinking her father must have lost it after being yelled at by Hanabi, Hinata decided to take pity on her father and make things easier for him. One recalcitrant daughter a day was enough right? "I..I've decided t..to accept it. N…neji nii-san…i…is not a…a bad person." And even as she said that she was convinced that Neji was really not that bad.


	15. Neji's Pain

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.**

**Neji's Pain**

Watching Hinata's back as she walked away from him, Neji felt his heart throb and ache with longing, even as his hand moved to linger over where her hand had last touched him. Was this what unrequited love was about? This horrible emptiness exacerbated by a hunger and pining for the one you desire? A yearning that he knew would never be reciprocated. She did not return his feelings. Neji knew it innately.

Neji sighed and slumped back onto the creaky old swing even as Hinata vanished into the horizon; however he turned on his Byakugan to track her. Her reason for departure was indeed as he had speculated, an excuse to get away from his presence. She headed nowhere near the school building, her feet leading her towards the training grounds instead. He wondered briefly if she had decided to train to work out her frustrations but that seemed like something he was more likely to do than her.

He continued watching her for about an hour but all she did consisted of sitting on a log and pulling at random plants surrounding her. It was starting to get late and the entire day was going by without him having done anything useful except for reiterating the afternoon's events in his head. Neji's self-loathing increased for every time that the scenarios repeated in his head. What was he thinking, trying to follow a stupid self-help book on how to get the girl of your dreams to fall in love with you? The silly games he had resorted to made him feel disgusted with himself. Had falling in love made him become _that_ stupid? After the umpteenth replay, Neji got up in exasperation and leapt hurriedly into the trees.

Even as he sped through the trees in his agitation to get to the Hyuuga training grounds, his eyes nevertheless continued to keep Hinata in its peripheral view. Even when he reached the grounds and began violently expressing his displeasure at the turn of events, his eyes still continued to perceive her presence. Finally, this intrinsic _awareness_ of her annoyed him so much that he turned off his Byakugan before continuing with his assault.

Goodness knows how much time had passed since he begun his vigorous outburst. He was so intent on his venting that when Hanabi came up towards him, he very nearly hit her with his Jyuuken. As it is he stood in stance, panting, with his hand outstretched in the standard Jyuuken pose, glaring hard at the intruder who stood barely a foot away.

Hanabi looked slightly flushed and her lips were parted as if she had some stirring news to share. Still upset with the afternoon's turn of events and annoyed by Hanabi's appearance disrupting his training, Neji frowned hard at her. Being in absolutely no mood to entertain pregnant pauses, he demanded rather impatiently, "What?"

As if she was waiting just to hear this very question, Hanabi could barely mask her smirk as she announced, "She knows. She knows all about us."


	16. Hanabi's Lesson

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.**

**Hanabi's Lesson**

"_She knows. She knows all about us."_

Hanabi spoke those words excitedly, almost gleefully, but she immediately lost her smirk when Neji suddenly grabbed her by the throat and thrust her up hard against the nearest tree trunk.

"Oooooougffff!!" Hanabi choked as all the breath was knocked out of her from the impact. Her hands automatically went up to tug insistently at his iron grip around her throat while her hanging legs struggled to kick out at him, but to no avail. Her eyes began to water and she stared beseechingly at Neji while choking out, "Nii…iii…saan." It had worked before. Her crying that is. However, this time round, things seemed different.

His hold on her was tight but he was not gripping her hard enough to suffocate her yet, although she knew for sure that there would be marks left on her neck if she got out of this alive. He was glaring at her in a hard way, a _dangerous_ way. She had not seen this side of him before. Or at least he had never shown this side of himself to her before. She imagined this must be what his enemies faced when he got angry. She knew he must be very angry now and she shuddered to find out what he intended to do to her.

"Hanabi, what did you do?" Neji's voice was very hard and cold just like his eyes. Hanabi shivered uncontrollably. The rebellious side of her wanted to snub him and his question but self-preservation kicked in when he tightened his grip.

"I…I…," Hanabi could have kicked herself for stammering. She was Hyuuga Hanabi, not her weak-spirited sister, Hyuuga Hinata. Stammering was not her style. Neji continued to eye her umovedly. He did not even seem to notice her stammering or maybe he did not find it unusual for people to stammer whilst facing him in fight mode. However, Hanabi still cared, so after gathering all her wits, she managed to keep her shivering to a minimum and using as commanding a voice as she could muster, she responded, "I did nothing. She was eavesdropping on my conversation with Otou-san an…and that was how she found out."

Her eyes watched his face carefully for the slightest reaction but there was none. Even so, she continued on curtly, "Release me now! I am the new heir and I command you to release me now."

Neji seemed to deflate a little when she said that last sentence because his eyes cast downwards and he said softly, almost to himself, "And if I don't?"

"Neji! What are you doing?" A familiar voice came from behind Neji and Hanabi felt a mixture of fear and relief as Neji's hand on her throat tightened briefly before he released her. She fell to the ground, sucking in sweet sustenance whilst her hands continued to clutch her neck as if to ensure that her head was still attached. Looking up, she saw her grandfather glaring hard at Neji, his hands already holding up the hand seal that would activate the cursed seal. That was when she realised that Neji had released her because his own hands had flown to his head. Before her eyes, he collapsed to the ground gasping and moaning in pain as his eyes rolled to the back of his skull, while his hands continued clutching his head.

"Ojii-san, stop it!" Hanabi finally managed to scream out, her voice coming out hoarse and raw from her previous ordeal with Neji.

"What were you doing, Neji? Trying to suffocate the Hanabi? How dare you, Neji? Don't you know she is our new heir?" Her grandfather bellowed at Neji even as he kept up the hand seals that kept the cursed seal activated.

"Ojii-san, please!!" Hanabi finally managed to get to her feet and ran to her grandfather's side, attempting to pull his hands apart. Neji's nose and ears were bleeding and his hands were gripping onto his skull so hard that his fingers had turned all white.

Just then her father, Hyuuga Hiashi appeared and demanded, "What is going on here? Otou-san, stop that!"

Hinata, who had been following quietly behind her father, gave a loud squeal when she saw the fallen and bleeding Neji. She immediately rushed to his prone form and tried to ascertain his condition.

Upon Hiashi's command, her grandfather did stop the activation of the cursed seal but by that time, Neji's body was already still. It was at this point that Hanabi felt the coldest dread in her life. He was meant to be the love of her life but she had just indirectly caused his death. Hanabi stood frozen in the midst of all the resuscitation efforts because she felt as if the whole world had stopped. She did not think it would ever move again.

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A/N: Sorry everyone for my long absence. I will try to wrap up my story soon. I thank you for all your reviews. It was very encouraging.


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